Neil Cohalan

Neil Cohalan
Biographical details
Born(1906-07-31)July 31, 1906
Bronx, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 1968(1968-01-22) (aged 61)
Playing career
Football
c. 1927Manhattan
Basketball
1924–1928Manhattan
Position(s)Quarterback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1929–1942Manhattan
1946–1947New York Knicks
Head coaching record
Overall165–82 (college)
33–27 (BAA)

Cornelius Joseph "Neil" Cohalan (July 31, 1906 – January 22, 1968[1]) was an American basketball coach. He was the first coach of the New York Knicks and has the distinction of being the winning coach of the first game played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the forerunner to the modern National Basketball Association (NBA). The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knicks and the Toronto Huskies played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens, was won 68–66 by the Knickerbockers.

Prior to his pro career, Cohalan was the head basketball coach at Manhattan College from 1924 through 1942, where as a student he played basketball and football.

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
New York 1946–47 60 33 27 .550 3rd in Eastern 5 2 3 .400 Lost in Semifinals

Source[2]

References

  1. ^ "Jasper, Knick Leader Dies". Daily News. New York, New York. January 23, 1968. p. 60. Retrieved September 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Neil Cohalan: Coaching Record, Awards". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 24, 2024.


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